Variations in the physical size and the personal taste of people has long plagued the clothing industry. Most generally, the solution to the problem has been to produce a range of sizes for garments which hopefully will satisfy the personal tastes of many individuals. Although the clothing industry has effectively accommodated to that practice, it has not been without substantial difficulties both to the industry and the market. First, many purchasers of standard-size garments are faced with the alternative of tolerating some compromise in the fit of the garment or alternatively bearing the cost of expensive alterations. Another common compromise involves a multitide of fabric and style variations. That is, purchasers frequently buy a garment simply because it is the closest thing available to what is truly desired. As for the clothing industry, anticipating and accommodating the style desires of the multitude of purchasers not only requires considerable study but substantial waste. A considerable volume of garments must be discounted for sale, because they are not of a style or size to attract a buyer. These considerations generally result in a relatively volatile industry and a substantially compromising market.
In general, the present invention may be embodied to provide an interactive graphics display which is used to facilitate the design and pattern for a garment with the result that a person can effectively consider a garment before it is actually fabricated. The system enables professionally designed garments custom styled by the purchaser using a mirror image display.
Structually, the system of the present invention incorporates an interactive graphic display terminal from which an operator (normally the intended wearer) provides physical data and a garment selection. A central storage responds to the identification of a garment by providing display data to the active terminal, which is related and scaled to the wearer's physical data to provide a display of the specific garment on the subject for whom it is being designed. The terminal equipment includes interactive graphics apparatus for developing the garment with the aid of a current image along with message instruction displays. A working storage actively carries limitations imposed on the garment by the designer, options for the garment, display data, and physical characteristics of the propspective wearer.
When the operator has attained the garment in the desired form, definitive data for such garment is transmitted to the central location unit for use in cutting the pattern for the garment's production. Consequently, the operator is able to work with data that reflects a clothing designer's capability, the wearer's own physical measurements and personal tastes, for specifying the desired garment prior to manufacture.